April is Child Abuse Prevention Month!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) – the Prevent Child Abuse Washington State Chapter – is joining with other states and organizations across the nation to acknowledge the powerful work that parents, primary caregivers, and community members do every day to help children succeed. DCYF is participating in the month-long nationwide awareness and impact campaign: “Building a Hopeful Future, Together.”

In support of these efforts, Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Washington State.

Every act that builds protective factors in families is an act of prevention and it cultivates an environment where all children can grow and flourish in Washington. This can be a parent spending quality time with their child, a child care provider sharing resources or connecting families, or a neighbor providing a meal to a family to reduce stress. Each pinwheel you see planted is a reminder of inspiration to support children in having positive childhoods.

The theme of this year’s Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign is centered on reminding us that it takes all of us working together to create the future we want for all children, and that by building strong foundations, we build a better world for everyone. Building healthy communities takes work. We all have a responsibility to ensure children have positive experiences, and help families have the resources they need, when they need them. Strong communities are built on stable foundations. Everyone benefits when we focus on addressing underlying causes that lead to health and social inequities. Sometimes, building for the future means deconstructing the past. Proactively addressing inequity and injustice allows us to support safe, stable, and nurturing environments.

DCYF recommends the following ways to help raise awareness and impact positive change virtually during this year’s Child Abuse Prevention Month:

• Follow DCYF on Facebook and share our posts widely — and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Use the hashtags #BuildingHopefulFutures and #CAPMonth to let us know you’re committed to helping children, families, and entire communities to flourish.
• You can show support for promoting positive childhood experiences and preventing adversity by wearing blue on April 5 for #WearBlueDay to kick off CAP Month with momentum. Post a photo or video on social media and include the #WearBlueDay2024 hashtag. Download DCYF’s Child Abuse Prevention Month coloring page, or order the What Makes a Hero coloring book, or the Protective Factors coloring book, to create positive interactions with the children and families in your life.
• Plant a pinwheel – a visual reminder of the world we want for all children to grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed. You can order pinwheels through DES here or click here plant one online in the virtual pinwheel garden. Proceeds from virtual pinwheels get deposited into the Washington State Children’s Trust Fund to support family support and prevention activities. All donations are tax-deductible, and funds go directly to your local state chapter to support local children and families
• Email [email protected].gov for Pinwheel for Prevention stickers, temporary tattoos, posters, and more.

For more information, contact dcyf.strengtheningfamilies@dcyf.wa.gov.

The pinwheel represents our efforts to change the way the state thinks about prevention, by focusing on programs and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start. Strengthening Families Washington is the state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, the leading organization working solely to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation’s children. For more information, please visit: Prevent Child Abuse America.

Last year DCYF distributed around 15,000 pinwheels to communities around the state. Pinwheels for Prevention is a reminder that it is not enough to just respond to child abuse and neglect – we must build and support strong families through community engagement, programs, and policies.  This movement works towards developing communities that are healthy, safe, and nurturing for all children and families.